Hatred helps breed success for high-flying Stars

The Stars are using a hatred of losing to help breed success this season.

Marilyn Indahl/Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports

The Stars are taking the NHL by storm early this season, and according to Stars writer Mike Heika, they are using an unusual tactic to fuel their success: hatred.

In a weekly chat to discuss all things Stars hockey, Heika fielded a question from a fan who asked whether the Stars have finally adopted the “hate to lose” attitude which Tyler Seguin said was missing from the team during his first year in Dallas. Heika responded by saying Seguin and a number of the new veterans the team brought in are indeed helping this season's team adopt that concept.

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The Stars' record is reflective of that new attitude, as Dallas has yet to lose back-to-back games this season, showing that the team is learning quickly from mistakes and proving the eagerness to get back on track immediately.

Of course a strong offense and an improved defense are also key to the team's success so far this season, but a healthy hatred of losing looks like it could pay dividends toward playoff hopes in the team's long-term view.

I do think they have that attitude. It would be easy to say Jamie Benn is the leader. He has been here longer than any other player, and he has been through the down years, so you can sense his motivation. But everyone has his own story. Seguin talks about losing in the Stanley Cup finals and how it was one of the worst feelings ever. Sharp and Oduya are coming from a team that has been through it all. Antti Niemi seems extremely competitive. I think it is something that they're sharing, and something that is magnified by the fact they know how good this team can be.